Solo Training

Kung Fu Wang

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When you do your solo training, you may do the following ways:

1. Form or drill:

1. 20 moves form 10 times.
2. 10 moves drill (or partial form) 20 times.
3. 5 moves drill 40 times.

Assume it takes more effort to do a kick than to do a punch, for the 10 moves drill content, you cam also train the following ways:

2. Content:

1. 10 kicks drill 20 times.
2. 5 kicks + 5 punches drill 30 times.
3. 10 punches drill 40 time.

Assume it takes more effort to train in fast speed than to train in slow speed. You can train the 10 moves drill in the following ways:

3. Training speed:

1. fast speed 20 time.
2. medium speed 30 time.
3. slow speed 40 time.

Which training method will give you the best reward? Your thought?
 
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Danny T

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What is the goal for the session?
To learn something new, to gain better skill with something, to ingrain an action or a series of actions, or to do maintenance of a skill?
 

jobo

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When you do your solo training, you may do the following ways:

1. Form or drill:

1. 20 moves form 10 times.
2. 10 moves drill (or partial form) 20 times.
3. 5 moves drill 40 times.

Assume it takes more effort to do a kick than to do a punch, for the 10 moves drill content, you cam also train the following ways:

2. Content:

1. 10 kicks drill 20 times.
2. 5 kicks + 5 punches drill 30 times.
3. 10 punches drill 40 time.

Assume it takes more effort to train in fast speed than to train in slow speed. You can train the 10 moves drill in the following ways:

3. Training speed:

1. fast speed 20 time.
2. medium speed 30 time.
3. slow speed 40 time.

Which training method will give you the best reward? Your thought?

yea, but solo ma is akin to practicing ballroom dancing on your own, its not that it has no benefit, but that the benefits are quite limited
 

geezer

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When you do your solo training, you may do the following ways:
1. Form or drill:
2. Content:
3. Training speed:
Which training method will give you the best reward? Your thought?

In each area I train whatever I feel I need the most, or sometimes, just what I feel like doing. It is my own solo training time, after all! :)

So, yes, I spend some time doing entire forms. I feel they can function a bit like a textbook or catalogue of techniques, and I train the whole thing to stay well rounded.
Following the advice of my old Escrima instructor, I train the simple patterns he showed me (along with others I've put together myself):

1. Slowly - Perfecting the technique, emphasizing quality of movement.
2. Strongly - Emphasizing explosive power in each combination or sequence.
3. Fast - Working to build speed.
4. And finally, all of the above - Strong, fast, and with good technical quality.

On other days, I will run through the form once or twice (they are short) then pick one or two combinations and repeat them over and over until they feel really strong, fast and useful. Then work the same movements on a bag or shadow-boxing, mixing them up.

Finally. at least in our Escrima, the forms are training tools, not ancient, magical formulas that cannot be changed. We shorten or lengthen them, and change them up as needed. Often we work them more like shadow boxing than like rigid kata. Then when we have partners, we will pick some sections and use them in drills or sparring to figure out how to make them really work.
 

geezer

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yea, but solo ma is akin to practicing ballroom dancing on your own, its not that it has no benefit, but that the benefits are quite limited

I believe that in both examples (MA and dancing), the benefits of solo training can be quite significant ...within the aforementioned limitations.
 
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Kung Fu Wang

Kung Fu Wang

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What is the goal for the session?
To learn something new, to gain better skill with something, to ingrain an action or a series of actions, or to do maintenance of a skill?
The purpose of this thread is to compare different solo training methods and find out which training method (in all 3 areas) can give us the most benefit.

For example, as for the training content discussion (part 2),

If I do a drill combo that has

1. no kick in it, I can do 40 minutes and I still won't feel tired.
2. some kick in it, I can do 30 minutes and I start to feel tired.
3. all kick in it, I can do 20 minutes and I can feel tired.

What does this mean? Which training can give me the most benefit for the time that I have spent?

When I feel

- not tired after doing 40 minutes "no kick" combo, should I feel good about myself?
- tired after doing 20 minutes "all kick" combo, should I feel bad about myself?

When I train

- slow and feel not tired at all, is that because my body is in good shape?
- fast and feel tired, is that because my body is in bad shape?

Is it better to

- train a form from the 1st move to the last move?
- break a form apart and on train the drills in that form?
 
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Kung Fu Wang

Kung Fu Wang

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yea, but solo ma is akin to practicing ballroom dancing on your own, its not that it has no benefit, but that the benefits are quite limited
Since we can't have training partner 24/7, solo training is a must. You can "polish" your skill in solo training.

Without solo training, you don't have chance to tell someone "Outside".

Bruce Lee 'Outside' clip Enter the Dragon (Slo-Mo)
 
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Buka

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The longer you train the more options/needs/likes you have for solo training. I think it's more enjoyable, too. Sometimes it's to work on something, other times it's just to exercise, move around, stretch, lift, whatever.

Other times it's just because you feel like rocking. I love to rock.
 
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Kung Fu Wang

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I personally just like hitting a heavy bag.
I consider

- heavy bag training as "enhancing" training.
- solo drill training as "polishing" training.

IMO, the counter force that come back from the heavy bag can make one's body strong both inside and outside.
 

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I consider

- heavy bag training as "enhancing" training.
- solo drill training as "polishing" training.

IMO, the counter force that come back from the heavy bag can make one's body strong both inside and outside.

I think both are able to enhance and polish training. Just as one example, the feedback you get from punching a heavy bag (i.e. OUCH! That hurt!) can polish your technique. Correct hand position stops the pain.
 
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Well sure. That makes sense. Without any actual formal training, what else could you do?

I shouldn't be able to form a fist if i listened to some people on here because of that. :p


I consider

- heavy bag training as "enhancing" training.
- solo drill training as "polishing" training.

IMO, the counter force that come back from the heavy bag can make one's body strong both inside and outside.

More or less gives me something to do, it builds up attributes for punching and kicking, i kicked it as well. And i think the general style of standing there are punching and only moving slightly (more or less into and out of range) suits me better.

I think both are able to enhance and polish training. Just as one example, the feedback you get from punching a heavy bag (i.e. OUCH! That hurt!) can polish your technique. Correct hand position stops the pain.

This i can confirm, especially if you dont wear gloves. You only feel your wrist go once or twice before you switch up your game.
 
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Kung Fu Wang

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Here is one of my questions that I would like to get you guy's opinion on this.

In the following 2 clips, The upper body movement are the same. One has kick while the other has no kick.

- Which drill do you prefer to train (1 or 2)?
- For some MA system that don't have much kicking training, do you think it's good or bad?

1. You may repeat this drills 1000 times (~45 minutes) non-stop and still don't feel tired.


2. You may repeat this drill 100 times (~5 minutes) non-stop and you will start to feel tired.

 

isshinryuronin

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In each area I train whatever I feel I need the most, or sometimes, just what I feel like doing. It is my own solo training time, after all! :)
Often we work them more like shadow boxing than like rigid kata. Then when we have partners, we will pick some sections and use them in drills or sparring to figure out how to make them really work.

I agree with your beginning statement. Re: your ending, though, I do not consider kata "rigid." There is some flexibility. There are usually two or three interpretations of each series - plus, sometimes the moves before and/or after a series can become part of it. There is some room for creative application. This affects how I envision the kata and do the execution. Then, during the execution, I can vary the rhythm, speed, and my general body movement. Even actors and singers, while sticking to the script, vary the way they perform it, changing inflection, expression and mannerisms. And I agree with your last thought. Only with a partner can you know what really works and how/why it works.
 

Buka

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I can see where that second one would make you tired after a hundred of them. Any jump kick can tire the heck out of you.

But I like the looks of the first one more. I love that stomp step. Granted, I don't know squat about either, I just like it more.
 
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Kung Fu Wang

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I can see where that second one would make you tired after a hundred of them. Any jump kick can tire the heck out of you.
My question is:

Which training do you think that you will get better result out of it?

IMO, any drill that involve with leg skill is always good for single leg balance. The single leg balance is very important for older people.
 
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Kung Fu Wang

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I find a good way to improve endurance by using solo drill training.

stage 1 - repeat 3 moves combo 20 time non-stop.
stage 2 - repeat 6 moves combo 20 time non-stop.
stage 3 - repeat 9 moves combo (or partial form) 20 time non-stop.
stage 4 - repeat 12 moves combo (or partial form) 20 time non-stop.

Non-stop is the keyword. 20 is my magic number. It can be different for others.

If you can find 6 drills (or partial form). When you have reached to stage 4 (6 x 12 x 20 = 1,440 single move), your endurance is much better than when you was in stage 1. You will also find out that all the fat on your body is gone. The training result is very similar to long distance running.

Your thought?
 
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jobo

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I find a good way to improve endurance by using solo drill training.

stage 1 - repeat 3 moves combo 20 time non-stop.
stage 2 - repeat 6 moves combo 20 time non-stop.
stage 3 - repeat 9 moves combo (or partial form) 20 time non-stop.
stage 4 - repeat 12 moves combo (or partial form) 20 time non-stop.

Non-stop is the keyword. 20 is my magic number. It can be different for others.

If you can find 6 drills (or partial form). When you have reached to stage 4 (6 x 12 x 20 = 1,440 single move), your endurance is much better than when you was in stage 1. You will also find out that all the fat on your body is gone. The training result is very similar to long distance running.

Your thought?
yes but your becoming detached from reality, or your training your body to do something that has nearly no real world application. under what special set of circumstances do you need an ability to perform 1500 individual moves ?

That's like training yourself to do marathons when there is little possibility of ever needing to run more than 3 miles, its at best a complete waste of time and quite possibly counter productive to your real world performance
 

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